The Lions ended their record winless streak in emphatic fashion, with a magnificent attacking display to thoroughly thump one of our bogey teams.
The Lions ended their record winless streak in emphatic fashion, with a magnificent attacking display to thoroughly thump one of our bogey teams.
Line up:
Phil (GK)
Alfie (RB), Simon (CB), Matt R (CB), Gary (LB)
JP (CM), Danny (CM), Lee M (CM)
Dave (floating...)
Brett (CF), Kevin (CF)
As you can guess from the scoreline, quite a lot happened in this game, so if you were there - apologies in advance for any mistakes and omissions - and if you weren't there - apologies for a very long match report...
On both of the previous occasions we'd played Bookham, we'd lost 3-1, and come off the pitch wondering how on earth we'd not beaten them, so we owed it to ourselves to get the win today. Both teams fielded the bare minimum of players although we at least had a sub to run the line, whilst they didn't.
Right from the off, we were on the offensive and Gary had an early chance with a shot on target that the keeper fumbled but managed to recover. We were making all the running in the first 10 minutes and were looking the more likely to score. I think I touched the ball twice (in my role as emergency keeper due to Dorian's absence) before typically, the oppo scored with their first shot on goal.
To be fair it was a great solo effort by their striker who was easily the best player on their team. Starting from our left he chased the ball and closed down our defenders across the face of the penalty area and eventually won it on the right and bore down towards the byline. He then punted a dipping shot brushing over my outstretched fingers that nestled in side of the net. Despite dismissive talk of it being a fluke (everybody was expecting a cross) I've no doubt that he meant it and fair play it was a class shot.
He was obviously pretty good, but we hand't learnt our lesson and a few minutes later he had a second when the ball broke through the middle and he squeezed a shot past my dive and the ball pinged in off the inside of the right post.
2-0 down in the opening 15 minutes and given our recent results it would have been no real surprise if our heads had gone down at the point. But the fact was, we were still by far the better team. We were making chances, playing the better football and had more of the possession. It took us 2 goals for us to finally wake up to their "danger man" but once we did, he got no more time on the ball and our defence and midfield did a superb job from that point on of largely snuffing out his threat.
We dominated the play and I can remember dave and Lee having a couple of efforts on goal before the breakthrough came. The oppo had a corner which I frankly flapped at, but managed to get enough on it for orne of our guys to complete the clearance. A bit fuzzy about who passed to who, but the ball got worked up the field for Brett to send Kevin through, running onto goal. He had to take it a bit wide to the right and I thought the chance had gone, but he managed to cut back insde the defender on his favoured left foot and hit a low shot past the keeper at his near post.
It was no less than we deserved for our play and we made more chances: there was goalmouth scramble at one point, where it seemed that any one of 3 or 4 of guys could have had it in the back of the net. Brett went close with an effort over the bar. Dave managed to connect with one of his numerous overhead kicks and the ball did go somewhere in the direction of the goal. Lots of good build up play but - as has all too often been the case recently - no end product until about a minute from time.
Again, can't remember the build but the end result was Dave putting ball through to Lee who hit it on the volley first time to send it high and dipping over the keeper. A great way to level things up and it was a massive boost coming as it did just before half time. After their first two goals, the oppo had only had one real effort on goal when their main man tried with first a header and then a tame shot straight at me. Just went to show how well we'd recovered as a team from the early setback.
A positive team talk later and we were out for the second half, determined to keep the momentum going and it paid dividends within a few minutesof the restart. Brett put a shot in, which was only partially cleared and Gary was on hand to tap in th erebound from a couple of yards out. First time we'd been in the lead against these guys but it didn't last that long.
We gave away one of many free kicks just outside our area and it was sent at speed to the back post where it was firmly met by their onrushing player. I did get a hand to it but could only help it into the side of the goal.
It was a soft goal to concede, but this time we came back straight away. Lee returned the favour from the first half and put in a cross to Dave who took a touch and then smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Was great to see one of those strikes actually under the bar instead of "Row-Z" over (which is what happened to all his subsequent attempts but I digress...)
At this point, goals started to come thick and fast and even the scorers had trouble remembering the order. We went 5-3 up when Lee got his head to the ball and found Brett on the left somewhere round the area (hard to get the perspective right from the other end of the pitch). With his back to goal, Brett hooked the ball up and over the keeper - a bit like Adam 's goal of the first season - allegedly being palmed in by the keeper in his effort to keep it out, but seeing as the source of that allegation was Simon I'll give Brett the benefit of the doubt.
Speaking of Simon, apart from doing one of his customary incisive runs from the heart of defence to end up falling over his feet miles up the pitch and out of position - he did have a slight lapse in judgement when he had the ball just outside our six yard area. He decided to take on their two-goal striker who'd already shown how good he was at getting the ball off people and frankly it was like watching a car crash: the final result was me beaten at my near post by another cool finish and a sheepish-looking Simon.
That was an aberration though, in a mostly solid second half defensive display. Do have to mention (as no-one else will) a one-on-one save from their main striker when he was through on goal and an incredible miss by one of their players. Another of their decent, tricky players had gotten through and squezzed a shot past me and I could see it was just trickling wide of the far post but one of their players was going to get there to poke it in. Or he would have done had he not hit the ball against the post from about a foot off the line. Incredible.
Anyway, back at the other end, we were getting loads of chances and loads of goals for a change. Gary - who despite looking perpetually knackered - got up and down the flank superbly and his reward was two goals in what seemed like twominutes. He closed down their right back on the ball, dispossed him and worked his way into the area before finishing emphatically past the keeper. He then latched onto a pass from Kevin and produced another great finish to get his hat-trick.
Lee rounded the scoring off with another glorious lob over the keeper after being put through with a lovely lofted pass from JP. I remember chances for Kevin to add to his tally, with his lob-shot going over the bar. Brett missed a header from a couple of yards out. Dave apparently hit the corner flag with a shot. Oh and Lee got booked in the first half for dissent, to get what is only the second yellow card of the season for the Lions.
All that matters though are the first three points since January and the way in which we got them. Was getting really sick of seeing that guy with his head in his hands next to the match reports...
Other results this week mean that retaining fourth spot is entirely in our hands, so enjoy Easter, stuff yourself silly with chocolate but come back (especially you Dorian) with an appetite to win. It's been a long, long time coming but it was (almost) worth the wait with our highest goals tally for a single game. Better late than never, let the revival continue to the last whistle of the last game.
